Fire-escape.



s.sTAsEL.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.16, 1911.

Patented Dec. '10, 912.

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SOLOMON STASEL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 16, 1911.

Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

Serial No. 654,972.

T 0 all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, SOLOMON SrAsnL, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in fire escapes, the object beingto provide apparatus of this character which shall be convenient foroffice buildings, hotels and also private dwellings, a further objectbeing to provide a fire escape apparatus which may serve as an articleof furniture when not in use as a fire escape.

With these objects in view my invention consists in the combinations andarrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

My invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the casing in its normal positionwhen not in use, and the latter Withdrawn when positioned as in use,Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation showing a ladder guide employed in theapparatus, and Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section showing an endview of said guide.

The preferred form of construction as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings comprises a guide member 1 which is preferably a metal castingand secured by means of screws 2 to a window sill 3. This guide memberis substantially Z-shaped in cross section and one of the end portionsthereof is provided with a horizontally disposed slot 4 which extendsnearly the entire length of the member 1 as illustrated in Fig. 1. Themember 1 is located centrally on the window sill 3 and the lower endportion thereof serves to reinforce the screws 2 for holding the memberin position. Should the screws 2 prove to be ineificient in holding themember 1 then the lower portion 5 of said member will engage the wallbelow the window sill and prevent displacement of said member, thisfeature being clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. A flexible ladder 6 isadapted to be passed through the slot 4 and is provided with anelongated member ,7 the extremities of which are adapted to engage theportions of the member 1 adjacent the slot thereof for supporting theladder. When not in use, the ladder 6 is wound on a suitable reelrotatably mounted in a rectangular sheet metal casing 9, but when beingused, the same is passed through the slot 4 as clearly illustrated inFig. 1. The casing 9 when the apparatus therein is not being used for afire escape serves the purpose of an article of furniture and may bepositioned in front of the window 3 as shown in Fig. 1. A plurality ofdrawers 12 are provided in the front of the casing 9 adjacent thecorners thereof which are adapted to serve the ordinary function ofdrawers in a cabinet Or other household furniture. Provided in one sideof the easing 9 is a horizontally disposed slot 13 which when saidcasing is being used as a fire escape is moved so as to be parallel withthe guide member 1, whereupon the flexible ladder 6 normally projectingthrough said slot may be readily drawn over to the slot 4 and passedtherethrough as shown in Fig. 1. After the ladder 6 is thus passedthrough the slot 4 and located on the outside of the building asindicated in Fig. 3 then said lad der automatically unwinds from thereel. The length of the slot 13 is sufficient to permit of the member 7passingtherethrough Without catching the ends thereof, but as aforesaid,the member 7 cannot pass through the slot 4 since the length of thelatter is only slightly greater than the width of the ladder,

In the operation of the fire escape the easing 9 which is normally inthe position shown in Fig. 1 for use as an article of furniture is soturned that the slot 13 will be adjacent the window sill 3. Then theprojecting end of the ladder 6 is passed through the slot 4 of the guidemember 1 and permitted to fall down the outside of the buildm It fireescape apparatus as hereinbefore set forth is simple of construction andefficient in operation. Moreover the same is constructed to serve twouseful functions, that of a fire escape and also as an article offurniture.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable ofvariation and modification without departing from the spirit of theinvention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set forth,

but desire to avail myself of such variations 7 2. A sheet of metalsubstantially Z-shaped in cross section, having the downwardly extendingarm thereof curved inwardly to engage a window, and the upwardlyextending arm provided with a longitudinal slot therein.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

SOLOMON STASEL.

Witnesses:

HELEN F. LILLIS, JOSHUA R. H. Po'rTs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

